Tuesday, August 19, 2008

The Hippy Church / Model

The Hippy Church.Well, it's because of the Hippy Church, me not having a traditional background in Churchianity and the study of the Bible that causes my rebellion against the typical structure of today's modern assembly of believers.

The group called themselves Maranatha Houseand started somewhere around 1972 or 73.Back in the late 60s and early 70s a great and wonderful move of God's Spirit swept across this nation through the disillusioned youth of America. Many of the Hippies began to realize that sex / drugs / rock n roll had no more answers than sex / alcohol / Frank Sinatra.

Yeah I know I skipped Elvis, but he was trapped somewhere in the transition.Playin' both sides of the generation gap, ultimately, killed him.

We were lost.John and Bobby Kennedy were murdered heros.(History has since tarnished that hero status).The real hero was Martin Luther King Jr.He only wanted peace and the equality guaranteed in the US Constitution.They killed him for wanting that.V.P. Agnew stepped down before he could be arrested.The Pres was going to be impeached.We thought that the Beatles were part of a new wave of spirituality.Then they broke up over pettiness and money.

Or as Love Song said, "What the heck was Rocky Raccoon about?"Stupit White Album.It was supposed to be all spiritual an stuff!

Amidst the confusion that ushered in the 1970s, evangelism began to spread through the streets and communes. Small groups of guitar playing longhairs and hippy chicks started to write new Worship songs to the Creator as they understood the Gospel message and followed Jesus, a longhair they could relate to.He spoke about loving your neighbor as your self and yet remaining chaste.Why just love those who love you?Anyone can do that.He taught that we should pray for those who spitefully abuse us.Whoa, hold on cowboy, that is radical stuff.

Those worship groups played in the parks across America and brought many souls to Christ.Prob was . . . . the mainstream denominations didn't want anything to do with us unless we were pressed into their mold. Those who knew God through His Spirit opened their doors. The others only knew their man-made traditions and shut out some of the best teachers to come.

SIDE TRIPRead Greg Laurie's "Lost Boy".Phenomenal book and movie.An under educated beach kid from a broken home who later was asked by Billy Graham to preach the crusades in his stead as he aged.I won't be a spoiler, buy it, read it.

Marantha House sprang up in Las Vegas out of the park worshipers.They rented an old green house downtown, one block off Fremont Street.None of the ‘elders' had reached 30 yet.None were more than 5 years in the Lord.

The Model.Patty and I came to Jesus at a Pentecostal denominational Sunday gathering.The message was real.The pastor was a good preacher.No hellfire damnation stuff, just good Biblical teaching, that was convicting.Well, it didn't take long after our commitment for the members to decide I needed a haircut, real shoes, and some sort of button down rather than the peasant shirts I always wore.Sorry, dudes, I didn't read that in this week's Sunday school class.

Then I met Mike in a Data Processing class at the community college.A fellow believer, how cool!I ran into him a again and we started discussing the nature of the Real Church.The studying I had been doing began to reveal that the church wasn't the building on the corner but rather, where ever God's people are.WE are the CHURCH. The called out ones.I didn't know that. It was quite the revelation and revolutionary.

Oh yeah, Mike just happened to be an elder at Maranatha House.‘ magine that.The group met every Tuesday and Thursday for worship,line on line scripture study and prayer from 7 - 9PM.Babies welcome.There was no Sunday service.On Sundays, the body was split into small groups, 15 - 20 people,led by an elder or deacon in someone's home.The agenda was up to the group.

Some went to the parks or Fremont Street to evangelize.Mike's group got together sometime after lunch.We brought hibachis, BBQs, salads, fruit whatever.Small Bible discussions in one corner.Chord teaching for worship on the porch.Little kids running all over.Good conversation.Prayer for one another.Great food.Very much happy fellowship . . .and no drugs.

I now look at the current Church Model and see what is missing.KareBear, it's what you have been sensing in the lack of community.

There is no place for unabashed, fellowship of the corporate body.With NO agenda.

1 comment:

Karen
said...

Edward Bear! You are a very good writer! I love your voice and style! :) Thanks for sharing the Hippy Church info. PTL for Mike from the Data Processing class. I love the way God brings people into our lives at just the right time. Sounds like it was a very special time in your lives. I was part of the So. Cal. outpouring of the Holy Spirit. It was an exciting time. I remember when Greg Laurie walked out one Sunday after shaving off his beard and the whole church laughed and clapped for at least 10 minutes. :) It was so fun to be part of the spontaneous. I will definitely read Greg's book.Keep on Truckin' and Keep on Bloggin'I'm heading back to So. Cal. tomorrow. I am really hoping to find some koinonia in my new church. I will do what I can to help kreate it!!!Karen